Cape Town - A heartbroken Manenberg father who lost his five-year-old son to a speeding taxi driver is seeking justice as there have been no developments in the case for the past year.
Richard Dodson’s son Raphael Jacobs was returning to his home in Thames Walk when he was run over by a Quantum taxi in Manenberg Avenue, a street away.
It is alleged the driver fled the scene and left the boy’s body in the road.
“I was called to the scene by neighbours and saw my son lying there in the middle of the road, dead,” Dodson sobbed.
“Till today I cannot sleep without thinking about him. I miss him, miss him waking me up at 6am in the morning and playing with him. He was a happy chappie.”
Since the death, Dodson said he had not heard from police on the matter. Instead he had been kept waiting at the police station or has been told the investigating officer is not available to give him answers.
“All I want is justice for my boy. The more time we waste the more this case dies down. It’s like they don’t care about my son; they keep making me wait when I go to them (police).
“This is sad for me, it was my son that was killed there,” said Dodson.
But police spokesman Captain FC Van Wyk said the case, registered as a culpable homicide case at Manenberg police, was under investigation.
Dodson, an ice-cream vendor at Newlands Stadium, said he had taken the investigation upon himself.
He said he had gathered witnesses and had spoken to the taxi driver’s assistant about the incident.
“It was not an accident. (He) told me that the taxi driver was speeding and playing loud music.
“He told me that he warned the driver about my son being in the road - but the driver was focused on the music and getting his next trip. He didn’t care to even check if my son was okay after he drove over him and killed him.”
Dodson added another man, who would’ve been a key witness, died about three weeks ago.
“I can’t numb my pain any longer. I resorted to alcohol to help me forget but when I wake up in the morning I remember that my son is no longer here. Children who grew up with him, but were too young to understand, ask me, 'where is he uncle?' He was supposed to be in grade R at school, the uniform is still here - we bought it before he died.
“I will only have peace in my heart when I go to court and see my son’s killer standing in the dock,” Dodson cried.
Cape Argus